​Whilst sitting in a VIP Booth – at a club night launch – I sipped on a glass of Passoa, whilst singing along to Girls Aloud and 5ive with my friend Amey, when we suddenly realised that not only were we probably the oldest guests there, we were pretty much the only ones following the traditional rules of club dress codes and it got me wondering – what has happened to club standards when it comes to dress codes?

​Getting ready is probably my favourite part of any night out. Putting on a great playlist, pouring myself a long drink and just get glammed up. This ritual of mine is even better when my friends are involved, the music gets louder, the drinks get not only longer, but also often stronger. Resulting in great mood for the beginning of our night out.

Us girls would wear cute dresses, tights (if we haven’t shaved our legs), we would discuss who was taking a coat and then decide which shoes we were going to wear. Choosing the right shoes often took me longer to decide than probably anything else. I need to make sure I could a) walk in them, b) stand in them, c) dance in them and d) make sure that they were sturdy enough because I didn’t want to pop my knee out of place – not nice, would not recommend. We would take it in turns to straighten each other’s hair so it was poker straight – no one wanted that kink at the back, or one of your friends became the hairdresser for the night because she revealed that she could curl hair with straighteners. What a fool.

As for the boys, they picked out their nicest pair of jeans, smart shoes and their sharpest shirt and ironed it until it looked fresh. If the boys did not wear a nice shirt and proper shoes, the bouncers often turned them away at the door. Often with the classic phrase “No shirt, No shoes, No service.” So, the boys always made sure that they were dressed to the nines. There was always the odd occasion where you were meeting up in town first, so there was always the risk that one of the boys forgot to put on his good shoes and now you have to have a strategic plan on how to smuggle them in the club before the bouncers noticed. It was a nightmare.

Whilst at this club night launch for ATIK in Aberdeen, I only spotted a few pairs of smart leather shoes and crisp shirts. I would say about 95% of the male guests were wearing trainers and tees that looked like they had just picked them up off the floor of their bedroom. That cotton T-Shirt has never had the privilege of meeting an iron or steamer. It was a little disheartening to see because it was the grand opening of this club with a celebrity guest and it looked like hardly any of them made an effort. Some of the girls were glammed up but majority were wearing casual outfits with trainers. It was quite baffling for my friend and I.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I have no issue with anyone wearing what they want, but I was getting really annoyed at the staff on the doors because if this was 10 years ago and that was me, I would be turned away in the queue.

It just got me wondering, are club dress codes dead? Or did they even truly exist? Was it just bouncers being picky about who they let in to their club?

Tell me about your club experiences in the past when it came to fashion.
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Well if you and Amey were the oldest ones there maybe it’s just as well I never went, I would have been the Grandma!! 😂

I totally agree with what you are saying about getting glammed up on a night out! I used to spend hours getting ready, I either wore a dress or trousers and a top, heels, bit of bling & a handbag that was far too small for all the things I needed! Oh and way back then most of my going out clothes were from Morgan (remember them 😂) as well as River Island, Oasis and Warehouse as they sold ‘dressier’ clothes for going out.

When I was in my late teens/early 20s you wouldn’t have got in anywhere on a Saturday night wearing jeans and def not trainers. Boys wore suits which is totally different from nowadays as they just wear nice jeans, t shirt and trainers. I think it’s nice to dress up rather than wear casual stuff. Makes you feel good 😊 xx